Adjustable locomotive driving-box brass.



e. H. LANGTON. ADJUSTABLE LOCOMOTIVE DRIVING BOX BRASS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV; 28, I914- Patented-Aug. 17, 1915.

GEORGE H. LANGTON, OF RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIG-NOR J. W. SMALL, 0F PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.

ADJUSTABLE LOCOMOTIVE DRIVING-BOX BRASS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

OF ONE-HALF TO Patented Aug. 7

Application filed November 28, 1914. Serial No. 874,561.

To all a: 710m it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE H. LANGTON,

citizen of the United States, residing at Raleigh, in the county of Wake and State of N orth Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Locomotive Driving-Box Brasses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to adjustable locomotive driving box brasses.

The ordinary driving box brass is forced into place in its seat in the box under pres-- sure, but is liable to become loose in the driving box in time because of its expansion and contraction or from other causes, and becomes loose in its fit on the journal due'to wear and other causes. l/Vhen this occurs it is necessary to remove the brass and apply a new one, andthis necessitates placing the locomotive in the repair shop for several days or for an even longer period of time, and in the ordinary construction of driving box and brass, a satisfactory job cannot be done in the application of a new brass without removing the wheels and otherwise dismembering the locomotive.

It is therefore the aim of the present invention to provide a driving box brass'that may be applied, removed and adjusted without the necessity of removing the wheels or otherwise dismantling the locomotive, or placing the locomotive in the repair shop for any considerable length of time.

A further aim is to provide a driving box brass so constructed that it may be expanded to provide the necessary pressure under which a driving box brass has to be forced into place in its seat in the box, without removing the wheels or otherwise dismantling the locomotive.

Another-aim is to provide a driving box brass that may be applied, removed -or adjusted without the employment of heavy machinery, hydraulic or screw presses or like devices, and at a minimum 'of time, labor and expense.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of av driving box equipped with the brass embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device. Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 4 is a top plan view. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the brass removed from the box. Fig. '6 is a perspective View of the.

expanding wedge for the brass.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings bythe same reference characters.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates ingeneral an ordinary locomotive driving box which is provided with the usual recess 2 for the reception of the driving axle. The box is further provided in the top wall of the recess 2 with the usual arcuate seat 3 to receive the brass, this seat terminating atshoulders 4 located at opposite sides of the recess 2 and arranged for the engagement and support of the lateral edges of the brass. The ordinary driving box brass is cast in one piece and is, as before stated, forced into its seat in the driving box under high pressure. The brass embodying the present invention, however, is formed in two sections, each indicated by the numeral. 5. When these sections 5 are assembled, the resulting brass is substantially of the same form as the ordinary one piece brass, or, 111 other words is of arcuate form and by reference to the drawings it will be observed that the sections- 5 comprising the brass constitute halves of the brass as a whole, so that the brass is, in fact, divided medially of its top or crown, as indicated at 6. The sections 5 at their meeting edges are each formed in its upper side with a recess '7, each recess having a plane bottom wall 8 and an angular-lydisposed vertical wall 9. Stated in other words, the vertical walls of the recesses in the brass sections are non-parallel to the meeting edges of the sections. Thus, when the sections are assembled as shown in Fig.

5, a. tapered channel or groove is provided in the upper surface of the crown of the brass, the side walls of the groove or channelvdiverging in the direction of one end of the brass. In Fig. 6 there is illustrated a wedge 10, which is disposed within the channel or groove in the upper surface of the brass and which is provided for the purpose of relatively separating the sections 5 so as to expand the brass as a whole and cause the same to lit snugly and tightly in its seat in the driving box 1. The wedge 10 is provided'at its minor end with a threaded stem or tang 11' to which is applied anut 12 designed to be tightened in a manner now to be explained, in order to draw .he wedge in the direction of the-minor end of the groove in the brass for the purpose stated. Y

, The numeral 13 indicates a plate which is bolted or otherwisesecured, as at 14 to one face of the driving box 1 and which hasan" arcuate lower edge portion 15 which projects below the upper surface of the seat 3 in the saiddriving box, and which constitutes an abutment for the ends of the brass sections 5 and a bearing for the nut 12, the stem 11 of the wedge being fitted through an open' ing inthe said plate, as will be apparent from an inspection of the drawings. It will I, now be understood that when the brass-sec= vtions have been assembled within the seat 3,

in doing which it is desirable that a spreader be arranged within the recess 2 for the purpose of slightly expanding the driving box and then allowing the box to resume; its

normal condition to firmly bind the brass sections, the nut 12 may be tightened for the purposeof adjusting the wedge 10 lengthwise in the groove of the brass for the. purpose of expanding the brass sections to cause them to more firmly seat within the seat in the driving box. It will "of course be understood that the nut 12 may be tight ened from time to time, as occasion may requ re,

for the purpose of compensating for the con} traction of the brass sections and for wear.

. While the invention is primarily intended for application to locomotive driving box brasses, it may be, as will be readily understood, used for other purposes where a similar brass is to "'be employed. It will furthermore be understoodthat slight modifications may be made in the construction. if found necessary or desirable.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: v

1. Av driving box having a seat and opposed shoulders at the sides of the seat, a sectional driving brass fitted within the seat and upon the said shoulders and having portions removed from adjacent edges to form a 1ongitudinally tapered channel, a longitudinally tapered wedge fitted in the tapered channel and disposed wholly within the inner and outer faces of the driving brass to move freely longitudinally and laterally with reference to, the seat to equalize the lateral pressure on the driving brass sections, and means for moving the wedge longitudinally and holding the samein the adjustedposi I tion.l

2. Adrivingl iiixhavin g a seat and opvposed shoulders at the sides of-the seat, a sectional driving brass fitted within the seat.

and upon the said shoulders and having longitud nal portions removed from the outer adjacent corners to form a longitudinally tapered channel of uniform depth adjacent the seat,-a wedgeof uniform thickness and tapering in width throughout its length and disposed'in said longitudinally tapered channel to move freely on the seat laterally and longitudinally to equalize the lateral pressure on the driving brass sections, and means coacting withthe wedge and box to draw the wedge into the channel to press the driving box sections apart and hold said wedge in the adjusted position.

3. A driving box having a seat and opposed shoulders at the sides of the seat, a

sectional drivin brass fittedwithin' the seat and-upon the said shoulders and having lon-f gitudinal corner portions of adjacent sections next the seat removed to form a longitudinally tapered channel which is closed by the seat, a plate secured to a side of the f 1 driving box and projecting'beyond the seat to overhang the smaller end of the tapered channel and the ends of the driving brass sections, said plate having an opening in line with the tapered channel, a wedge in-.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. LANGTON. [1... s.]

Witnesses:

EDWIN F. MILLER, JOHN G. WILLIAMSON. 

